Inpex has submitted an environmental impact assessment regarding construction of a geothermal power plant in partnership with Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui Oil Exploration in the Oyasu District of Yuzawa City in Akita Prefecture, Japan.
Image: Short-term flow test conducted by Inpex and partners in October 2018. Photo: courtesy of INPEX CORPORATION.
The purpose of the assessment, dated December 7, 2018 and addressed to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Governor of Akita Prefecture and the Mayor of Yuzawa City, is to initiate full-scale project implementation.
Geothermal energy is widely recognized as a renewable energy providing a stable source of power unaffected by weather, and studies and development initiatives are currently being carried out nationwide.
In the Oyasu District of Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, Inpex, Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui Oil Exploration have jointly pursued commercialization studies on geothermal power generation through geothermal resource evaluations including flow tests as well as economic assessments.
Inpex and its partners plan to continue their pursuit of the studies with the aim of commencing commercial operations in 2024.
Source: Company Press Release